Obesity Abstracts

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in children and adolescents. A growing number of studies have found a correlation between asthma and an increased obesity risk. The mechanisms underlying the asthma-obesity relationship are unclear and likely to be multifaceted. As research suggests parents of children living with a chronic illness may adjust their parenting style, the role of the family environment should be considered. This present study explores the differences in parental practices around feeding and attitudes towards exercise in parents of children living with and without asthma.

Methods: Parents of children aged 10–16 years living with (n=319) and without asthma (n=316) were recruited. Data were collected online through validated questionnaire measures for: parental feeding practices, child eating behaviour, parenting practices of child activity, and child activity levels.

Results: The results indicated that children living with asthma had a significantly higher BMIz. Parents of child living with asthma were significantly more likely to use food to regulate their child’s emotions, restrict their child’s diet for weight control, and be concerned about child overweight. Parents of children living with asthma were also more likely to monitor and control their child’s activity levels and to pressure their child to exercise. Child emotional overeating and desire to drink were higher in children living with asthma compared to their peers.

Conclusions: The results suggest that certain parenting practices around eating and exercise, which have been linked to excess weight, are more prevalent in families where children are living with asthma. Further exploratory analyses showed that the relationships between parental restriction of food for weight control and child BMIz was significantly moderated by asthma control, and that the relationships between child activity level and child BMIz was significantly moderated by asthma control. This suggests that the pattern of relationships between eating/ exercise and child weight may differ according to children’s asthma management and that asthma control should be considered when reflecting on child weight management in children who are living with asthma.

Keywords: Obesity, asthma, adolescence, parental practices

Disclosures: No potential conflict of interest to report.